Reviews

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As blind iPhone users who live in the United States, we really are spoiled, as most of the limited content out their about VoiceOver is directed at us. So when my colleague Jackie Brown at AppleVis wrote a great blog entry that primarily focused on iPhone Sports Apps for those living outside the U.S., my first thought was what about us U.S. sports fans? Yes, I know quite self centric of me, but hey, I’m an American and aren’t we known for being self obsessed? All kidding aside, I wanted to put together a list of the best sports apps for those MLB, NFL, college football, NHL, and NBA fans.
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Q: Why is a laser beam like goldfish?
A: Because neither one can whistle.

That was a line from Mike, the joke-telling computer in Robert Heinlein's classic novel, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Reading this book made me curious about the current state-of-the-art for computer generated humor. And what, if any joke apps might be available for my iPhone.

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One of my favourite aspects of owning an Apple device is the ability to listen to sport on the go, and receive alerts within seconds of a change in the score. If you are a football or sports fan like me, check out these apps for your iOS device. SkyGo If you live in the UK, and subscribe to BSkyB, then SkyGo is a free app you can download from the App Store and access with VoiceOver. You can assign this app to two devices at a time in order to receive Sky services. If you want more nominated devices, then you would have to pay an additional fee.
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I'm not of sound mind. I do not own a decent microphone and I am not an audio engineer. I do not record music or podcasts. I simply have thousands of audio files, captured and collected over a lifetime, that sometimes need just a bit of attention.

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My mother used to claim I would lose my head if it were not screwed on. How I have suffered with that ancient rebuke. Dear Mother, I do not lose things. I simply store them in mysterious places.

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The marquee features of thee iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are unquestionably upgraded cameras; a new always-on display; and a Dynamic Island’ that changes size and shape to accommodate various types of alerts, notifications, and interactions. For my circumstances and use case, I can roughly appraise these as having some potential utility, no utility, and some curiosity appeal.

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Introduction

For many of us -- hard-core internet surfers, RSS is a familiar term. By the same token, the phrase "RSS reader" isn't esoteric at all. But let me talk a bit about RSS and RSS readers before moving on to the main focus of this post. According to the Pro Blogger website:

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***Note: This post was written in 2012. Unfortunately American Heritage Dictionary 5th Edition became totally inaccessible in July 2016. So what you read below is no longer valid and only reflects history. To see what happened to this invaluable app and how it became inaccessible again, please visit this page. Thanks.

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It feels like losing an old friend. Or perhaps losing one's love of life. But American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language was my friend in the world of iOS apps and my love in the world of dictionaries. So going to bed one night with an awesome dictionary which ticks all check boxes in terms of accessibility and getting up the next morning, hearing about the app's takeover by a new developer, re-paying for and downloading it, and finding it an absolute mess in terms of accessibility is nothing but a huge blow to one's morale. And the story doesn't even end there...

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When I spent a few hours with the Apple watch on April 8th 2015, I jotted down notes about the Apple watch’s physical description, general overall points, low vision and speech features, hearing, and Siri.

Some Initial Points

In a recent podcast of mine looking at the click wheel on the iPod nano 4/5th generations, and the touch screen access on the iPod nano 6/7th generations, VoiceOver access on the Apple watch has far exceeded my expectations.

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Today, Apple began selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in stores around the world. And, unlike past iPhone releases, consumers now have two devices from which to choose.

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On February 9, 2018, Apple finally released the highly anticipated HomePod to the general public. I was lucky enough to receive one as a gift from Cupid for Valentine’s Day and I thought that I would share my first impressions of Apple’s latest gadget.

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Back in March when I took a stab at comparing iOS and Android from the perspective of a blind user, Android 4.1 (a.k.a. Jelly Bean) was nonexistent and no one knew what access features it would offer. Having tested Google Nexus 7 for more than two weeks and having seen blind users' opinions of Android 4.1, I'm now in a better position to compare iOS and Android yet again.

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The iPhone 16 Pro Max is the largest iPhone Apple has ever made, and it offers the longest ever battery life on an iPhone. It also has the highest starting price tag of any iPhone (it starts at $1,199 and goes up very quickly from there). Some would never consider a Pro Max model because of the size alone; and that was before Apple increased the screen size this year.

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This time last year, those potentially in the market for a new iPhone were probably caught up in the hand-wringing that followed Apple's decision to drop the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

12 months on, and most of us would probably look back and wonder what all of the fuss was about.

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For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the nights have started to draw in and temperatures drop. This can mean only one thing - we're now in what is traditionally Apple's main season for new product launches.

Last week saw the releases of iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and Apple Watch Series 4. The iPhone XR will begin shipping next month, and it's likely that at the very least there will also be an update to iPad Pro before the season ends. Beyond this, there might be new MacBooks; refreshes for iMac and Mac Mini; and possibly even a second generation of AirPods.

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Whether you own a Smartphone, tablet or other portable device, one accessory you may wish to consider is a pair of AfterShokz bone conducting wired or Bluetooth headphones, and here is why.
 
The AfterShokz bone conducting headphones are different from regular listening sets because they don't sit in or over your ears.  You actually wear them in front of your ears, on your cheek bones.
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In the Summer of 2011 I was preparing to return to college for the first time in over 20 years, and the first time ever as a blind student. I hoped to be able to use my 11 inch Macbook Air for all of my schoolwork, but lots of folks cautioned I would not be able to succeed without having access to MS Office and other Windows-based applications. While I had an intimate working knowledge of many Microsoft products from 20+ years spent in corporate IT, I only knew them from the perspective of a sighted person.

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Introduction

A common question I receive as a power user of braille devices on iOS who works with the deaf-blind population is what apps do I find most helpful, and which are most accessible to braille only users?With over 150 apps on my iDevices, I certainly can't or won't try to list them all. It should be noted that these are my personal picks and do not necessarily mean there aren't other apps I use, or which will not serve an individual better based on personal preference. There are also other apps I use which aren't quite as user friendly as the ones listed.
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I'm basically lazy. If technology exists that lets me spend more time sitting on my butt, I'm all over it. I control my thermostat with an app, use Google Hangouts for virtual meetings, and don't remember the last time I walked to a mailbox—that's why God invented email.